Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

135 reviews

pestosito's review against another edition

dark emotional funny fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Medical content, Suicide, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Stalking

amyfalconer's review against another edition

dark funny reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I haven't read anything like this - it was darkly funny, strange, explicit and modern. The characters are complicated, flawed and often quite irritating. Refreshing representation of a bisexual experience. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Suicide and Mental illness

Minor: Drug abuse

oliviakoeppen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

3.0

The author’s descriptions of feelings & events simultaneously enamored me and disgusted me. This book made me feel a lot, but mostly feelings of discomfort and embarrassment. I am glad I read it but would be contentious in who I recommend this book to. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Drug use, Addiction, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Mental illness

princesstiramisu's review against another edition

funny mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Stalking, Animal cruelty, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Death of parent

Minor: Eating disorder and Mental illness

the_lesbrarian's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Stalking, Suicide, and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Grief, Violence, Animal death, Death, and Abandonment

marinark's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I think this is one of those "love it or hate it" books. I loved it, I don't mind the loosenes of the plot, I find the broken characters endearing and it made me laugh out loud once or twice which is very unusual for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Stalking

ribbenkast's review

challenging funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is the first book that promised me weirdness and actually deliverd. None of the dialogue feels realistic, every single character in this book is deeply flawed, unlikeable and quite frankly invented new ways to be insane. But that's exactly the point. 

The writing is unlike anything I've ever read. Jen Beagin is amazing with language. Some sentences feel like a punch in the face, but it somehow feels good.

I understand that it's a defisive book, it's definitely not everyone's cup of tea and that's okay. Personally I had an amazing time with it and I will ad it to my list of favourites. 

If you think Sheena Patel's 'I'm a fan' and Melissa Broder's 'Milk Fed' were fun but you wanted something more out there, than this is the book for you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual assault, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Suicide, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, and Violence

The consent between Greta and Big Swiss is kind of dubious the entire time since Greta is obviously lying about who she is.

catch__up's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Addiction

Minor: Kidnapping, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Emotional abuse, and Medical content

oliviaratcliffe's review against another edition

challenging funny reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Felt like it was missing one key piece that would resonate a bit further with me. Funny in a air out of nose way not laugh out loud way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Suicide, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Infidelity, and Mental illness

cmc741's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, and Mental illness